Ab Imo Pectore, Sum Siemper Fidelis
by BellatheKlutz
Summary: When family tragidy strikes, Liz is forced to move with her combined family to the little, rainy town of LaPush. Little does she know that a certain fate awaits her...fate in the form of a wolf...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I only own Twilight in my head XD

A thin layer of frost covered the window of the plane when I finally lifted my head from a slumber that had started over a thousand miles ago. It was confusing, disorienting to look out at the distorted sun and realize that we were somewhere else, somewhere far away. Still harder to take in was the fact that we wouldn't be going back...we'd come to Washington- a good three thousand miles away from what used to be our home in Massachusetts- to stay for good.

"I guess we're really here then." It was a statement, not a question, and from a voice I could have recognized anywhere. I glanced over at Tom, who had been my "older" (honestly, if you ask me, six months hardly qualifies him to "full older brother privileges") brother for the past year, and replied,

"Looks like it." He turned to me, a smirk crossing his face.

"Look who's decided to finally awake! Have a good nap, sleeping beauty?"

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny."

"Yeah, honestly, Tom, what were you thinking?" This voice came from the seat directly behind me, another recognizable one- my 13 year old brother, David was smirking. Next to him, my other 13 year old "brother", Andy, added,

"Yeah, everyone knows that Liz hardly qualifies as a girl, let alone a beauty!"

"Shut up!" I raised my hand to hit him, but then quickly realized I'd have no chance of reaching over the seat. "You are so dead when we get up, mister."

"Ooooo...looks like we're in TROUBLE!" James, my youngest "brother" grinned two seats over at me from his place beside Tom.

"Honestly James, be quiet!" that reproachful voice came from Anne, my, well, adopted mother, I suppose. "People are staring. Can't you sit still for five minutes?" She shook her brown and blonde highlighted head, opened her purse, and popped out a couple of pills. Least she's off the alcohol now I thought to myself. From alcohol to antidepressants...but still...at least this way society thinks she's on her way to "recovery", whatever that means.

I'm not dumb. I know how to recognize an addiction. I also know that I should stop it...but I can't. The fact is nobody can- we're afraid of what would happen. And, to be quite honest, our family (if you can call it that) is in enough trouble as it is.

You see, a little less than a year ago, both my parents had decided to go out on a date for the first time in, well, god only knows how long. What happened next was nobody's fault- the roads were under-plowed and icy, and they hit the ice the wrong way, and, well, you can guess what happened.

They'd stated in their will that they wanted my 13 year old brother David and me to stay with the Mortensons if anything were to happen to them. And apparently, in the court, the will is the most important thing for stuff like this. So anyhow, five days after the funeral, we packed our bags and went to live with the Mortensons.

Don't get me wrong- I love them to death, known them all quite well since I was (or, in Andy and James's case, they were) born- Anne and my mother, Helen, had grown up together as little girls. But it was a lot to adjust to for all of us, and Anne hadn't been doing well in the first place. She started drinking like crazy. Eventually, her husband, Mark, forced her into rehab. I suppose it helped- she no longer does alcohol. Instead, she pops a whole bunch of antidepressants.

After Anne got out of rehab, Mark decided that we should all get a change of scenery. When he was offered a job in the world's most rural part of Washington, it seemed too perfect. He got all the paperwork signed, sold the house, took a plane out to get set up, and, a month or so later, here we were. Ready to start our "new lives", or however the old cliche goes.

"Hey Liz, have you heard that the new house is on an Indian reservation?" Andy's eyes were wide, excited.

"Cool"

"Yeah, and supposedly our house, is like, HUGE" David added, grinning. "That's what Mark just said." I glanced over- there Anne was, on the phone with Mark before we'd even stopped taxing. Typical. Very typical.

Tom chuckled, "Well, it's in the middle of the woods at least. You know what that means..." He flashed me a slightly demonic grin, and I couldn't help but chuckling,

"No doubt we'll manage to get into even more trouble then." I shook my head and then, before I could stop it, a grin broke out across my face, "It'll be FANTASTIC!"

David opened his mouth, but before he was able to get anything out of it, an announcement broke out over the intercom, "Attention passengers, we are pleased to announce that we have safely landed, and welcome you to Seattle, Washington. We here at Southwest know you have a lot of options these days, and we thank you for choosing us to fly with you! Have a nice day!" People began to stand up all around us, gathering their things, bidding adeau to their travel companions, preparing to welcome loved ones. I stood as well.

"You ready?" Tom asked to the general population, but it was I who responded,

"Of course! Let's GO already!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I don't own it...

The car ride out to La Push was long, too long, particularly when stuck in the car with four boys who couldn't sit still if their life depended on it. Mark had come to pick us up from the airport, so the 7 of us were crowded rather uncomfortably into a Anne's green mini van, shipped all the way from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. We'd tried to talk to Mark for awhile, but after about five minutes into the conversation, Anne had announced that her head hurt, and requested (actually, ordered would have been a better word for it) that we all be quiet, and the rest of the ride was spent in silence.

We finally arrived at the house a little after 11 at night. It was too dark to properly see anything, of course, but I could make out that it was huge and in the middle of nowhere. To my surprise, I liked it at once. It fit our family, if you could call it that, perfectly.

After helping unpack briefly, Mark pointed me out to my room. I dragged my suitcase up the stairs and down the hall, down three doors, until I finally reached one that had a sign on it "Elizabeth". I shook my head. Leave it to Mark to make everything office-like.

The room itself was cold, with its bare whitewashed walls, and new, modern furniture, but at least it was mine, away from the ruckus- or lack thereof- that was currently in the house. Sighing, I chucked my suitcase up on my bed- I was relieved to see that somehow, my light blue down comforter had made the trip up. It was nice to have a taste of familiarity in a place that seemed so distant from everything I'd known before.

I popped open the hinges on my suitcase, not in the mood to open the white closet door at the other end of the wall and unpack a box, and pulled out my favorite pair of fleece Winnie-the-Pooh pajama pants and a large black t shirt. Then, grabbing my bag of toiletries as well, I made my way down the hall to the bathroom I'd have to share with whoever else was staying on this floor with me.

I changed quickly, leaving my bag on the chrome sink- whoever else was there could deal with it. Unless it was Anne, but she'd have insisted on her own bathroom, I was sure. So that didn't really matter. Much.

I trudged back down the hallway, looking out for the rest of the family, but none of the rest of them appeared to be around. Not that it mattered- it felt good to finally have some time alone.

I closed the door behind me, shut the lights off, and climbed into bed. All of the sudden, I felt a torrent of emotion come crashing down on me, and, before I knew it, I was absolutely sobbing, about things I didn't know, didn't quite understand.

It just didn't seem fair to me somehow, how I was stuck in the middle of what I considered a taste of hell, with a family that, for the most part, could care less. I missed my parents, my old family. I missed the way things used to be, back in the day where my last test grade seemed to be the biggest thing happening.

I was nervous about the next day- apparently we'd all been enrolled at the local La Push school, which seemed impossibly small. I was being forced into courses that were, without a doubt, going to bore me to death and leave me ill-prepared for whatever college I would wind up going to. The only consolation I had about that last worry was the thought that, if nothing else, Tom would be there with me, just as new and frightened. And I'd always been good around people, or used to be anyhow. I stopped showing interest in most of the people I'd been close to after the accident. I just couldn't handle it for first two weeks, and, after the move, it didn't really matter anyhow.

And then...the emotion just became unmanageable, unbearable. I sat up abruptly, walked across the room with tears pouring down my face, slowly, deliberately, as if in a trance. I found a white shoe-box, opened it. Inside were my scissors, my sewing scissors. I took them out, opened them. Then I bared the skin on my right hip and quickly pulled the sharp side of the scissors across the skin. I repeated this several times, in a fury, until I became suddenly aware that my side hurt. Satisfied, I dropped the scissors back into the shoe-box and put it away.

Then I looked down at my hip, almost happy in a sick sort of way to see thin lines of blood beginning to dip down. It was the blood that calmed me, wicked away the fevered emotions, made me sane again. I got up, almost methodically, went and got the First Aid Kit from which I took a gause pad and some medical tape. I held it against my side, then taped it such that it would stay. I knew from experience that the cuts would stop bleeding by morning. I also took care to put all the things away, exactly as they were. I'd always been careful- cutting in spots that I knew were always covered by something, taking care to clean up after myself. It meant that I wouldn't be caught, that they wouldn't have to know.

I sighed, shook my head at myself as I walked back to my bed. As I lay down and closed my eyes, it suddenly struck me that I was now waiting for a different kind of dark relief- one that can only come from sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own it...

I woke late the next morning, and in a bad mood- my cell phone alarm wasn't quite loud enough to wake me- living in close quarters with four young boys had made me a heavy sleeper.

I woke late the next morning, and in a bad mood- my cell phone alarm wasn't quite loud enough to wake me- living in close quarters with four young boys had made me a heavy sleeper. Therefore, it wasn't until Anne stuck her head in my room and asked where the curling iron was, that I realized it was nearly 6:30 and I only had about a half hour to get ready for school.

I showered quickly, cursing as the water poured over my fresh cuts, resolving to find another way to deal with such extreme emotions. Stepping out, I hastily toweled myself off and threw on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved blue shirt. Then I fastened my blue star necklace around my neck reverently- it had been a gift from my friend Sarah back home, to our fairly close knit group of friends, whom I already missed dearly.

I shook myself out of my almost-trance, and looked at the clock. With a jolt, I realized that I didn't have time to dry my hair properly- I just shook it out, and hoped it would dry out on its own before we got to the school.

Finally done with my preparations, I grabbed my blue North Face backpack and darted down the stairs, where Tom was waiting impatiently. "Sorry"

I apologized. "I overslept."

Tom grumbled, "I was going to suggest that we go to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks or something, but I don't think we have time now." he paused, then sighed, hositle expression gone, "There's no Starbucks in the hell-hole anyway." He shook his head, "You ready?"

"Yup!" I called out, darting across the kitchen and grabbing a packet of Poptarts. "Ok..well, now I am. Lead the way!"

Tom rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything as he lead the way from our enormous house to the new jeep which I'd have to share with him. He climbed in the driver's seat, so I climbed into the passenger seat. Ordinarily I'd have protested- I did, after all, have a license and therefore equal rights to the car- but I knew I'd lose the argument- he'd had his license for longer, and was probably the better choice to navigate the unfamiliar territory, anyway.

It turned out, however, that the school wasn't hard to find at all- it was right off the "highway"- the only building around. It looked a bit run down, and the kids a bit imposing, all congregated in groups that had probably been formed sometime around kindergarten. They were all different- mostly part of the local Native American Tribe, I supposed. Most of them had the same beautiful copper skin and dark hair. I felt out of place with my now wavy dirty blonde hair and pale skin due to lack of sunlight from the winter.

There was one group of kids in particular- it wasn't just that they were absolutely beautiful- it was also that most of them were...big. Very big. As we walked past them, I realized that the tallest probably had a good foot or two on me. They looked dangerous somehow, too...I felt Tom tense next to me and knew that he felt the same way.

Still, after we were safely by them, I couldn't help but turn and glance back. One of the boys was looking, no, staring at me, wide eyed. I felt my cheeks redden as he caught my eye and hurried into the school, embarrassed to have been caught staring by someone that I didn't know.

The hallways were a mess, but in a nice way. It was almost comforting to be in run-down chaos after the near perfection of our house. A sign that, somewhere on the planet, life was still normal.

The office was a just a small room, with a closet- or at least, it was small enough to be a closet- standing in for a nurse's office in the corner. A receptionist- her hair was a blonde way too bright for her skin tone- greeted us with a well-lipsticked smile, "Hello! May I help you?"

Tom stepped forward and cleared his throat, "Yes, my, um, sister and I just moved into the area, and we've been enrolled..."

The receptionist nodded, and the her face broke into a knowing grin, "Oh of course! You must be the new kids!" I felt my eyebrows raise, and bit back a scream.

"It's small town syndrome." Tom muttered in my ear. The receptionist didn't appear to hear him, as she produced two large packets of paper.

"Ok kiddies, you'll find your schedules in here, along with a map of the school and some papers that your parents will have to sign, you know, release forms and all that nonsense." she winked at us, "Don't worry about a thing- everyone will make you feel more than welcome!"A bell sounded then, and the woman waved us off, "You don't want to be late to your first class! Have fun!"

"Have fun?" I mouthed to Tom as we headed into the now crowded hallway.

He shrugged. "To each her own, I guess." We stopped in front of a classroom- room 102, my first period classroom. Tom suddenly reached down and gave me a hug. "You'll be fine," he whispered into my ear, and then was lost in the crowd of people.

Tom was right, at least about first period anyway, I could handle math- it was old stuff for me anyhow, a review of irrational numbers. I took a seat in the very back of the classroom, trying to be placed out of the way. Second period English- probably my greatest academic strength- was fine as well, as well as third period Latin- conjugating verbs seemed warm and familiar. Next was fourth period gym. As soon as I'd walked through the door, the smell of chlorine encompassed me, which was comforting in a way. I'd always been a swimmer, and had been a lifeguard in my old town. I resolved to see what I could do about getting a job here as well- not only would it bring in some extra cash (which, with college on the way, I was in desperate need of), but it would also serve as a reminder of home.

So it was with high spirits that I hurried into gym class. After recieving the standard uniform (navy blue shorts with a puke orange shirt- absolutely hideous), I hurried into the gym. It turned out to be better than I had expected, an easy class- though I wasn't overly athletic, besides swimming, we were running the mile, which I loved- I'd always been thin, so I carried no extra weight, and the stress of the day made me want to push myself to go faster and faster until I felt like I was flying. I collapsed on the grass, gasping, but feeling better than I had in a long time.  
Fifth period lunch, however, scared the crap out of me. I had no idea where I was supposed to sit, to eat. People here sort of ignored me for the most part. I was an outsider here- everyone else came from and Indian heritage of some sort, or had been in this school for so long that nobody noticed the difference anyway. I had just about convinced myself that it'd be better to blow lunch off completely and go to the library- but then I remembered that Tom was going to be there as well. And if fairly antisocial Tom could handle it, so could I.

So, I squared my shoulders and walked in, scanning the cafeteria for him. I saw him at once, sitting alone at the far end of a table in the back corner. Smiling, I hurried off to join him.

"How's your day been??" I greeted him, plopping my school bag down. He'd thought to back a lunch; I hadn't. I didn't have money either...so I planned to just pick of his food for the period.

Tom shrugged. "As good as can be expected. Which reminds me..." He pushed a bag towards me, "This is yours, my dad, er, Mark, packed it this morning for you."

I took the bag, feeling relieved and shocked at the same time, "Mark actually made lunch?"

"Uh-huh. He was feeling bad this morning, I think." Tom shrugged again. "Anyway...no promises on how good it is..."

I opened the bag to find half a box of Oreos and two slices of cold pizza. "Suits me." I said, taking a bite of pizza, then washing it down with a swig from the water bottle I always carried with me.

"Excuse me?" I turned around at once towards an unfamiliar voice. I was immeaditly taken aback by the sheer size of the boy standing behind me.  
He had to be at least 6'5" or so- maybe more. With a start, I realized that he'd been a part of the group I'd seen that morning and marked as "dangerous".

"Y...yes?" I stuttered, slightly startled. Then I recovered, "Can I help you?"

"Well, you see, you seem to be sitting at our table." He winked. "But that's ok, we don't mind sharing."

"Oh...I'm sorry...wanna join us?" I asked, trying to be polite.

"Absolutely. Guys, have a seat!" He waved his friends down, sitting next to Tom himself. Another boy took the seat next to me- with a jolt, I realized it was the boy who had caught me staring. I watched him cautiously for any signs of embarrassment- he showed none. Rather, he was looking at me with a most peculiar expression- I couldn't put my finger on it, it was...not amazement, but something close to it. It unnerved me.

"Um...so." I clutched my hands together nervously. "I'm Liz...nice to meet y'all?"

The boys across the table chuckled, "I'm Quil," The bulky boy across the table gave me a half-salute, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Jacob" The boy directly across from me, the one who had informed me of our social disruption (because, of course, god forbid we sit at someone else's lunch table...) waved to me. I wondered why they didn't just reach across and shake hands...Indian tradition, perhaps? "And this," he motioned to the slightly smaller (slightly being, of course, used in the most general of senses- he was still so much bigger than I was) "is Seth." Seth grinned, acknowledging me with his head, but, seeing as how he was halfway through a giant sandwich, did not say anything more.

"And I'm Embry," the boy sitting just next to me said softly. He extended a hand- the first to do so out of the group. I took it softly, at once startled by the extreme temperature- it felt like it was on fire compared to my usually frigid hands.

"Nice to meet you Embry," I grinned, "Your hands are nice and warm." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wanted to kick myself. Really, that was the best I could come up with? Your hands are nice and warm? I mentally scolded myself.

Embry, however, just chuckled softly. "Yep...they generally are. I suppose you could call it a family trait."

I chuckled- the sound was off, perhaps because of the word family. Embry's eyes pulled together at the sound, but he did not comment on it, and for that, I was grateful. I figured it would have been awkward otherwise. However, then he asked the inevitable question, "So, what brings you to La Push?"

"Long story," I say, giving him my general prepared response to the question. I'd learned long ago that giving people more information than they need to know inspires pity, discomfort, and just general unrest.

Embry looked at me with curiosity. "I think we have time." He motioned to the clock on the wall- we had another 15 minutes in the period.  
I bit my lip for a moment, then, much to my surprise, started speaking, "Mark got a job transfer out here. He thought it would be healthy for all of us to get away."

Embry nodded. "And Mark is?"

I sighed, giving him the detail "Tom's dad."

Embry nodded again. He looked as though he wanted to question me further, but something in my expression must have stopped him from further pressing. I turned to hear the rest of the conversation- Tom was fully immersed in a discussion with the Jacob kid about rockets. I didn't understand that one much, but it was better than telling my rather dismal life's story to someone I'd only known for about five minutes, if that.  
Embry interupted my thoughts. "So, Elizabeth," there was something oddly wonderful about the way he said to my name- it was almost as though he was caressing it, savoring it like some sort of delicious chocolate or something, "what do you think of this wonderful establishment? I mean, is it everything you dreamed of when you made the decision to move to our humble little town?"

I chuckled, grateful for the lighter subject. "Umm...sure...I guess. The first part of the day has been all right, anyway...I had fun in gym, anyway..." I felt my face break into a grin, adding, "I love running."

Embry's face broke into a wide grin, "No kidding." He said, "Running's one of my favorite past times- one of the only things my lovely little town of LaPush offers." He paused for a moment, then added, almost shyly, "I'm going for a run afterschool, if you want to come." He winked, "We'll have to see if you can keep up."

"Is that a challenge?" I crossed my arms, pretending to look tough.

Emby's eyes narrowed lightly, though they still twinkled with humor, "Why yes, I suppose it is."

I grinned, "Then count me in!" As soon as the words were out of my mouth, the bell rang, and I hopped to my feet.

"So I suppose I'll see you after school then?" He got to his feet swiftly, and surprisingly gracefully for someone of his size.

"Yuppers! Meet you outside of..." I checked my schedule, "Room 120. Physics with Mr. Landers." I groaned- physics had not been one of my strengths.

Embry was grinning. "I'm in that class as well actually. I'll request you as a lab partner- Jared ditched me when Kim was switched into our class."

"Were you really that bad of a partner?" I teased.

Embry chuckled, "No, Jared just decided that he'd have more fun with his girlfriend than me." he clutched his heart as though wounded, "It hurt!"

Jared, passing by us, rolled his eyes, "Hey, mate, it's the only class I have with her! Give me a break!"

Embry rolled his eyes, copying him. "FINE." he crossed his arms and pouted. It was a two-year-old's expression on an adult's face- so comical that I couldn't help but laugh.

Tom came suddenly behind me. "You ready for next period?" I nodded, and grinned,

"See ya eighth period, Embry!" waving, I linked arms with Tom- who rolled his eyes, and skipped out of the cafeteria in high sprits.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own it.

**Author's Note:** Hey, thanks to all those who reviewed...I know it's sort of a dark story :-P

And thanks for pointing out the error I made with my latin title...I was kind of in the middle of translating a Daedulus and Icarus poem and was therefore having latin words swimming though my brain...hence the messing up "ego" with "sum"...

Anyway...review! Please! It makes me happy! Sorry this next part's a little stinky in terms of writting (I do actually plan to over edit this...) but I was bored in math class, and a friend wanted to read it so I figured I just post it now...

And now...without further ado...the story...

History flew by- much to my great surprise. I suppose it was because I was so preoccupied with thinking about the boy I'd met at lunch. There was just something so _different _about, so mysterious about him. It intrigued me, and I found myself becoming more and more mentally fascinated with a guy I'd only known for about an hour.

As the bell rang-signaling the end of 6th period- and I jumped up rather eagerly and darted to the door, I realized that, for the first time in awhile, I was actually looking forward to a class.

Thanks to my eagerness, I was one of the first people to arrive in Mr. Lander's physics class, but not _the_ first- Embry was there, already seated in a chair. I found myself smiling at his cool, casual appearance- it just seemed to me as though he hadn't a care in the world. He waved me over the moment I entered the room, and I went eagerly. My heart started to pound hysterically, and I wondered what was wrong with me- I never got this way around guys.

"Hey." He greeted me, smiling that irresistible smile of his. "Take a seat?"

"I think I will," I responded with a smile of my own, taking the seat. It was strange, but I suddenly realized that I'd smiled more during this day than I probably had the entire week before.

"Elizabeth?" a voice from behind me caused me to jump and whirl around, to face a tall balding man.

"That's me!" I responded, using another smile. "Are you Mr. Landers?"  
The older man smiled, "That's me!" he mimicked me, and I giggled. "I see you've already found a seat next to Mr. Call here. Good thing too- I was getting worried that we might have a loner on our hands…you see, Embry just hasn't been the same since Jared over there left him…" he clapped Embry on the back, face twisted in a hilarious expression of sympathy.

I laughed as Embry rolled his eyes, twisted out of Mr. Lander's grasp, and responded, "Yeah, I know, I was practically comatose for a few days there, wasn't I?"

Mr. Landers gave a nod of sympathy. "Well, I hope this girl does you good!" He reached out, clasped my hand, and shook it. "Welcome aboard, Elizabeth!"

I laughed as he walked away; "He reminds me of my old physics teacher back in Massachusetts." I commented.

"Yeah, Mr. Landers is without a doubt the favorite teacher here- he doesn't seem much like a teacher though- more like a student."

I chuckled, "Yeah, well, aren't those the easiest kind to connect with?"

Embry laughed in response, looking as though he was about to say something, but he was interrupted when Mr. Landers called class to order, and the two of us straightened up to listen.

Mr. Landers actually made the double period fly by- his demonstrations were more than entertaining, though, admittedly slightly dangerous, and even irresponsible- he nearly set the ceiling on fire a couple times while trying to show the class the effectiveness of a Carnot engine.

Therefore, it came as a great startle to me when the end of 8th period bell went off. Embry laughed as he watched me jump.

"You know, you do owe me a run." He told me, as we both collected our things.

I grinned at him, raising a questioning eyebrow, "Are you sure you want to lose to me right now?"

Embry crossed his arms, "No chance of that happening. I could take you out RIGHT NOW…unless you're scared."

I gave a challenging laugh, "You hardly scare me. Just let me get my stuff to Tom, and then I'll be happy to kick your butt while running home."

He grinned, "You're on."

I caught sight of Tom standing outside the classroom suddenly, and darted over to him, bag in hand. "Hey Tom, I'm gonna race Embry home, ok? I should be there soonish…if I'm not home by dinner then I'm probably lying dead in a ditch somewhere, so you may wanna come looking…"

Tom rolled his eyes, "Please don't wind up dead in a ditch, and you'd better be home soon, or else…" he trailed off trying to look imposing. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Uh-huh. Sure." Then, before he could say anything else, I turned, waved, and said, "See ya Tom!" Dashing out the door, I called behind me, "Catch me if you can!" to Embry, before running out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I don't own it...

and now...for an incredibly short chapter...

The run was incredible- I lost by about a mile, and had a feeling that he wasn't even pushing himself to his full potential. Still, it was fun to finally have someone to race with, even if they were a lot better than I was…

Thus it was with high spirits that I pushed open the front door and practically floated inside. "Hellllllo!" I called out. Tom appeared suddenly in the doorway from the kitchen, and my cheerful grin quickly dissolved into a worried frown as I took in his angry expression. "What's wrong?" I half-whispered.

"I can't STAND her anymore." His voice was rough, distressed. "She actually yelled at me for forgetting to pick up her medication at the drugstore- I didn't even know she was out! She didn't actually mention anything." He sank onto the couch, face in hands.

I sat down next to him gently, patting his back soothingly, trying to comfort him. "She has a problem. You know we have to be…"

"I'M SICK OF BEING PATIENT WITH HER!" Tom roared, banging his fist on the table. I bit my lip, looking down at my clenched hands, which were now in my lap. After a tense moment, Tom spoke again, voice quiet, apologetic; "I'm sorry Liz. She's just so hard to deal with sometimes- it's like she's actually out to get under my skin. And I hate the fact that she relies on medication to stay alive- I sort of wish she'd just stuck with the alcohol at times."

I mock punched him on the shoulder, "Don't say that. She's at least socially acceptably messed up now."

Tom grinned at me. "I guess." He sighed. "I probably should go get the meds now…Heaven knows what she'll say to me if I forget again."

I smiled, standing myself. "I'll drive." I volunteered quickly- Tom was still shaking angrily; it was apparent that he wanted to avoid another outburst at me, but I could see the effort it took. No matter how much he'd protest, I knew he was in no condition to drive anywhere at the moment- he just didn't have the patience to attempt it.

Tom opened his mouth to protest, but I grabbed the keys from the coffeetable and shouted- "Race ya to the car!" Tom opened his mouth, and I thought he was about to yell at me again; but he quickly shut it, shook his head, and led the way to the car.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight...

**Author's note:** Hey guys, sorry it's been such a long time; I have these wonderful little things called AP exams and then finals...and then there was ball...and Prom's coming up...lol, so I've been kind of busy. Luckily math's gotten boring again and you know waht that means- MAJOR UPDATES :-P

And thank you so much to those that reviewed...I've said it before, but it really makes my day to get reviewed. It also reminds me to update more when I forget :-P

A few incidents aside (for example, Anne's most recent temper tantrum, which ended with her storming out of the house, threatening to leave for good; and then younger boys decided it was a smart idea to build a giant catapult...luckily Tom managed to catch them before they sent James up to the roof of the house..) our first week in LaPush flew by. I found myself easily adjusting to what Anne referred to as a "simpler life"; even more easily than I had to life back in Massachusetts. I wasn't sure if it was the weather- I loved rain- or the omnipotent outdoors, or even the people I was now around.

Embry, for example. I'd only known the boy for about a week and already he was becoming one of my best friends. I'd gotten closer to him in 4 runs than I'd ever felt with Anne, or even Mark. It was strange- normally it took me forever to open up to a stranger. Maybe it was just the fact that I hadn't really been close with anyone but Tom for awhile, but I trusted him.

Thoughts of this tossed around my head as I ran home with Embry Friday night. He'd wanted to go a different way this time, and I wasn't complaining- I liked seeing the different trails that La Push had to offer. Still, this run was longer than I'd done in the past, and I found myself getting tired as we headed uphill.

Embry must have felt the same way, or else realized that I was tired, because as soon as we hurdled over the top, he said, "You wanna stop here?" My response was to collapse dramatically on the ground, panting. He ran over to me, expression dead worried, until I saw him, and started laughing. "Very funny."

I stuck my tongue out at him, looking up. Embry's height seemed even more impossible here- it made me feel so insignificant that I had to sit up. He sat next to me- closer than usual- and a companionable silence fell over the two of us.

"So..." he said after a few minutes. I looked over to see him staring out over the waves, as I had been. "What's up?"

I hid a grin, as I shrugged and responded, "Oh, not that much. I am a little tired though...someone took me on a killer run. You?"

He chuckled, "Same here, actually. Shocking, I know." He reached over and gently brushed a strand of hair back from my face, "But you know that's not what I meant." He added softly.

I looked at my hands, which were clasped together in my lap, "I know...it's been different...but some things are still the same. I mean, Anne and Tom had another fight last night- she nearly left; but the boys and Mark seem happier at least."

Embry made a move as though he wanted to grab my hand, but thought better of it. "Is everything ok?" he asked gently.

I shrugged, "Yeah, I guess...it's not like they didn't fight all the time back home. We're all pretty used to it by now."

He reached over and actually took my hand in his this time- I looked at him, a small smile playing on my lips. "Your hands are warm."

It was his turn to shrug, "I have good circulation."

And then we were silent again, each of us wrapped up in our own thoughts, but still enjoying each other's company. At least, until I noticed the sun beginning to sink lower and lower into the sky. I sighed, "I should get home. They might start to worry." The second part was more wistful than anything else- I knew fully well that the only person who would really worry was Tom, and he was probably too busy screaming at Anne- but still, it felt more normal to say it. And better safe than sorry.

Embry stood up, seeming reluctant. "I guess we should go then." He extended a hand to pull me to my unhappy feet.

"I don't wanna move." I complained, sticking my tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes,

"Want a piggy back ride?" I grinned, nodding at him. He rolled his eyes, but I could see amusement plain on his face. "Up you go then." All of the sudden, I was one his back, being easily carried through the woods.

"Nice." I commented.

He chuckled, "No problem, little Miss Lazypants." I stuck my tongue out at him; then realized that he couldn't see me, so I settled my head into his shoulder, closing my eyes comfortably. It was odd how safe I felt up here- usually when people carried me, I nearly strangled them, gripping on for dear life.

I hadn't really picked it up before, but now I realized that Embry was traveling almost as fast as we had before- as if my weight didn't affect him at all. For some reason, this was slightly unnerving to me, and I filed it away in my head for further study.

"You've been kinda quiet," he commented as we rounded a clearing- I could see my house already poking over the tops of the trees.

I shook those thoughts out of my head, "Just sort of enjoying the scenery" I responded- it was partially true, at least- "It's beautiful out here. Just us and the pure beauty of nature…well, sort of," I added, noting the fact that we were nearly at my front stoop.

Embry chuckled. "Yes, it certainly is." In one swoop, he pulled me from his back and gently set me on my feet. "And here we are."

I smiled a him, somewhat sadly- I didn't particularly want him to go- "Here we are."

He suddenly pulled me into his chest for a hug. "See you soon." He whispered into my ear. And then, just like that, he was disappearing into the woods.

I watched him go, sighing slightly. "See you soon." I whispered back, to nothing. Then I turned and walked back into my house, calling "I'm home!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight

After spending the entire night tossing and turning, I woke late Saturday morning to find the boys gone with a note, "_Off to get camping supplies. Didn't want to wake you."_ Fantastic. Now I'd get to spend a day with Anne. Sighing, I trudged down the stairs to find the kitchen empty, much to my great relief. After another sleepless night, I doubted my ability to handle whatever crap she intended to dish out.

I popped some Poptarts into the toaster- cinnamon, my favorite- and reached over for the paper. I opened to the comic section, and began reading.

When I was done with my breakfast, I decided to kill some time with a little thing called television. After switching to Great American Haunting- my favorite show, aside from Mythbusters- and prepared to spend a lazy day in front of the TV.  
My wonderful plan, however, was interrupted when Anne barged into the den and proceeded to change the channel. Irritated, I muttered under my breath, "Isn't it polite to ask before one changes the channel?"

Anne whipped her head around, "This is my house. I can watch what I want." I could smell alcohol on her breath, but was too ticked of to care.

"Actually, technically it's mine too. You see, I'm not 18 yet, and, I'm not sure if you remember this, but you did sign this little document thing saying that you'd, you know, adopt me...which means that, not only are you my guardian, which by the way, you're doing a terrible job of, just so you know, but you're also entitled to provide me with shelter...which, believe it or not, generally means a house of some sort," I babbled angrily on, not even sure of where the words were coming from. All I was aware of at this point were my shaking hands, the anger I felt rising in my chest. "At least Mike tries."

Anne glared at me- the phrase if looks could kill ran through my mind- "You ungrateful little girl." Her teeth were clenched, eyes wild. "Who are you to question what we've given you- we didn't have to do any of this. Believe me, if I could go back, you wouldn't be here at all."

I let out a humorless laugh- it sounded hysterical- "Oh, trust me, if you weren't blatantly neglecting your other kids, I would have walked out long ago."

"How DARE you!" she jumped to her feet, voice shrill. "How DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU QUESTION MY PARENTING SKILLS! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ME!"

"OH, RIGHT, I'M SURE IT'S SO HARD TO BE A SNAPPY LITTLE BITCH WHO GETS THE WORLD LAID AT HER FEET BECAUSE ALL OF US ARE AFRAID OF..." My screams were cut off as Anne stepped foreword and slapped me across the face.

"Don't you DARE say that." she hissed, "Ever."

I stared at her in shock- sure, I'd been hit by my brothers before, but this was different. Never had an actual adult ever actually hit me hit me. It took me a moment to regain my breath, but when I did, I turned on my heel and ran out of the room.

I thought I was heading upstairs to my room to get out some, er, supplies, but I found myself running out the front door instead, completely oblivious to the fact that I wasn't wearing shoes, and was dressed only in pajama pants and a tank top, and that it was freezing and pouring outside.

I couldn't tell you how long I ran for- only that I was at the beach when I finally collapsed, soaked from the rain and panting. I'd known this was going to be a hard day, but that didn't necessarily mean that I'd been prepared for it.

I don't know how long I lay there in the cold for. I do remember absently wondering if perhaps laying motionless in the cold was a dumb idea or not...after all, I'd had hypothermia once. It wasn't fun, or at the very least, not an experience I'd care to repeat.

Suddenly, footsteps came as though out of nowhere. "Liz?" A voice that seemed much more familiar that it should have came from behind me. I looked up to see Embry staring down at me. "Jesus, are you ok?" His voice was full of worry as he knelt down and put a hand up to my face. "You're freezing!"

"I'm fine." I tried to say, but the words were lost. I hadn't really realized that my teeth were chattering so hard until, well, now. His expression become more concerned, and he reached both arms around me and pulled me to his chest, which seemed extraordinarily warm to me, despite the fact that he wasn't wearing anything over it. He easily lifted me, and began to head away from the beach.

"Hang in there" he whispered into my ear as we ran...RAN..at what seemed like an impossible speed. I wondered if I was delirious. "You'll be ok."

We arrived at a cheerful looking, but small, house and Embry ran right through the door. "EMILY!" he called out, sounding panicked. "SAM? HELLO?"

A woman appeared in the doorway. I saw, with a jolt of horror, that her face was covered with 3 huge scars. The shock on my face, however, must have been misinterpreted as some sort of odd illness, because she took one look at me and hurried us inside, talking frantically to Embry. I couldn't really hear- or understand- her; I was much too tired, too comfortable in Embry's chest. I could hear his responses, "I just found her like this...I don't know...I don't know...Yeah, that's a good idea..."

We headed up a flight of stairs, and I was set down on something soft and cushy. Embry let go- I tried to hold on tight to him, but my exhausted self was no match for his strength- and left the room quietly. I just looked up at the woman, confused and slightly scared- It was childish, but I wanted Embry back.

Emily seemed to know what I was thinking. She placed her hand on my forehead, and whispered, "Don't worry- we're just going to get you out of these clothes, and then he'll come back." I nodded- what else could I do- and she helped me remove my soaking wet tank top, try off, and then replace it with someone's over sized T-shirt and a sweatshirt. Then she helped me take off my pajama pants and handed me a pair of sweatpants. They were comfortable, and I felt better almost instantly.

"Thanks." I whispered gratefully.

"Poor thing." she clucked, "You're so hoarse" She handed me a glass of water that was sitting on the beside table, "Drink this." she instructed.

Obediently, I sipped the cool liquid, enjoying the relief. "Thanks." I said again, looking at her curiously, "Um...who are you?"

She smiled, and her entire face seemed even warmer than before. "I'm Emily...my husband Sam is a friend of Embry's." She looked at me carefully. "You look like you could use some warming up- do you want to see Embry again?"

I nodded eagerly, and she chuckled- "Hey Embry? You wanna come and get her?" He appeared immediately and embraced me at once. I sighed, content at being in his arms.

"Maybe she should stay here for awhile." Emily worried, looking down at me. "She doesn't look like she could handle being out in the cold. Here." she threw a blanket at Embry. "Go sit over on the couch with the heater- warm her up."

Embry nodded, and headed downstairs once again into a very brightly lit room. Embry took me over to a couch, laid me across his lap, and threw a blanket over me. "Thanks." I whispered, beginning to feel warm.

He squeezed me tightly, "Anytime." he whispered in my ear.

I don't know how long we sat like that for, but it was dark when I opened my eyes again and looked up into Embry's face. "Embry?" His head immediately turned towards me.

"You're awake! Do you feel all right? Does anything hurt?"

"No, I'm fine...I think. What time is it?" I furrowed my brow in confusion, feeling very disoriented indeed.

"About 6, no, I guess it's 7 now. You had a nice long nap there, you know. Are you sure you're ok? You nearly gave me a heart attack back there, you know! I lose sight of you for fifteen minutes, and you manage to nearly give yourself frostbite and hypothermia!" He shook his head.

I frowned. Something didn't make sense. "How did you find me?" I asked, voice hoarse again.

Embry hesitated. "I was..." he took a deep breath. "I was worried. I'd stopped by your house to see if you'd wanted to come for a walk. Nobody was there, save for Anne, who was a bit, well, drunk. She said you'd gone out. I went looking around the reservation for you, all over the place, trying to think of where'd you'd be. I finally thought of the beach, and, thank heavens, there you were." His grip tightened around me. "Don't do this again, ok?"

"Deal" I agreed hoarsely, feeling exhaustion sweep over me again as I re-rested my head against his chest.

"What were you doing out there, anyway?" Embry wanted to know, looking down at me.  
"Umm...Well...I got sick of being around Anne with all her nonsense, couldn't handle it anymore, but didn't want to hurt myself again. So I decided to go run to deal with it all. But then I got really tired when I got to the beach and sort of lost it and...then you found me.".

His face was suddenly composed. "What do you mean 'you didn't want to hurt yourself again'?"

I felt my expression freeze. "When did I say that?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"Just now. And don't deny it- I can feel your heart racing. What did you mean?" he demanded. I looked into his eyes, and I saw...fear? What was he afraid of? I was the one that would no doubt get sent to a hospital or treatment center if anyone (particularly Anne) ever found out.

I sighed. "Sometimes when I can't handle stuff I hurt myself. It's not a big deal or anything, but it's something that I've been trying to avoid lately."

Embry looked at me, expression still composed. It took him a moment to respond- I supposed he was trying to get his voice under control. "Show me." was what he managed to say.

"Show you?"

"Show me what you've done."

I hesitated. "They're in awkward places."

"I don't care. Show me!"

I sighed, then bared the skin oh my hip, which was the most recent one. I heard the sharp intake of breath, and then Embry was suddenly across the room, shaking from head to toe.

"Embry?" I called, anxiously, "Embry, what's wrong?" Despite being exhausted, I tried to sit up and go to him. I managed to climb to my feet...before falling right on my butt again.

He was back over to me in a heartbeat, lifting me back onto his lap on the couch. He put his hands under my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. They burned into mine as he said, sharply, "Promise me that you won't ever do this again. Promise."

I nodded. "Deal. I'd already been trying to stop, anyway." Embry sighed,

"I just don't want to see you hurt, ok? You mean...a lot...to me. You have no idea how much."

I looked up at him, surprised. "You mean a lot to me too." I responded, knowing that as I said it, I meant it.

"It's different for me." his voice was rough as he said this, and, when I looked up at him, he was staring into space. This confused me...

"How so?" I wanted to know. "What makes you think that your feelings are so much stronger?"

Embry shook his head. "I'll show you someday," he promised, "just as soon as you're ready to see."

I raised my eyebrows, trying to sit up again in protest. "I'm ready now! Let's go"

He chuckled, "Not so fast. You can't even stand up yet. There's no way I'm taking you anywhere until you recover a little more."

I frowned. "What about home? They must be looking for me..."

Embry shook his head, "I've already called, told them you were out running with me for the day- they shouldn't check, correct?"

I nodded, "Thanks." I smiled up at him, snuggling closer.

He chuckled, "No problem. To be quite honest, I'd rather you were here anyway. Makes it so much easier to keep track of you."

I frowned up at him, "Why do you need to keep track of me?"

He looked down at me- there was no mistaking the utter sincerity in his eyes- "I told you before. You mean the world to me."

I looked at him for a moment, unsure how to respond. Then instinct took over, and I crushed myself to his chest. "You are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time."

A noise appeared in the doorway, and I jumped. I'd probably have fallen off the couch, but Embry easily caught me. Looking behind me, I saw a man who looked almost identical to Embry, "Dinner's ready if you two want to eat."

Embry nodded, glancing down at me, "Sam's right- you should probably eat something." he told me, standing easily with me still suspended in his arms. He clutched me close to his chest as we followed Sam into the warm, happy kitchen.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own Twilight. End of story._

_**Author's note:** Heyyy y'all- I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update- It's been pretty crazy here, and I haven't really had the time to write. Now that it's summer, I promise I'll be better! And thanks again to everyone who reviewed- it made me happy :-D_

_Oh, and just to answer some recent questions:  
Yes, David is Katie's only other sibling by blood. Her other "brothers" were family friends who adopted her and her brother when their parents died.  
The title is Latin, which, when loosely translated, means: "From the bottom of my heart, I am always faithful" yeah...i'm kind of a nerd ;-P_

In the kitchen, Emily gave us a warm smile, "Hey, look who's finally up!" she winked at me, "I made soup for all of us- figured it'd sit more easily with you."

"Thank you." I said gratefully as Embry sat in a chair with me in his lap. Much as I wanted to argue that I was strong enough to sit on my own, I liked being close to Embry- it made me feel whole. I leaned into his chest, content.

Emily smiled at the pair of us, but said nothing as she set two bowls of soup in front of us, "Eat up!" she encouraged, setting a bowl in front of her husband, and sitting down herself next to him.

Not much was said during dinner- the men were too busy stuffing themselves with soup so quickly that I feared they'd drown themselves. Emily and I occasionally exchanged an amused glance across the table, but I was too tired for much conversation- and somehow, I guessed that she understood this too. Emily seemed remarkably perceptive.

Finally, after about his millionth bowl of soup, Sam leaned back against the chair, taking me with him. "Another great meal, Emily." He grinned, "What's for dessert?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he looked at me, "What?" I just shook my head. Emily chuckled.

All of the sudden, I felt exhausted- as though the weight of the day's events had been holding back, all to release on me at this one very exhausting moment. I yawned, and rested my head on Embry's chest, willing myself to stay awake.

Embry looked down at me, eyes worried, "I should probably take you home- you need rest."

"I don't wanna go home." I mumbled pathetically at his chest. He pulled be closer to his chest, but looked up at Sam,

"Can I borrow the car? It's out front…" Sam nodded, and Embry stood up, with me still in his arms.

"Let's go" he whispered softly in my ear. My eyes were closing already.

I don't remember much of the car ride there- I think I was asleep for some of it- but I suddenly came to when I realized that Embry was carrying me to the house.

When we got to my front door for the first time since I'd seen him, Embry set my gently on my feet. I held onto his arm. "I don't want you to go." I murmured, looking up at him. He smiled and then pulled me into his warm embrace. I looked up at his face. Something was in his expression- it was almost pain. He took my face in one of his hands.

"I won't." he whispered. Then he kissed me.

I'd been kissed before, mind you, but this was different. It was more wonderful...scarier, too, in a way. It told me that things were changing, that my life was never going to be the same. Only, and I sincerely hoped my instincts were right, this time my life was changing for the better.

After saying a hurried hello to the rest of my family- and giving Anne a nice glare (who didn't notice because she was passed out drunk on the couch) I ran up to my bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face in a hurry. Embry had said he'd come visit me- but I didn't know how he planned on managing that. But still, the hopeful part of me wanted to hurry- and for once, I listened to it.

I darted into my room, and, much to my great surprise, there he was, seated comfortably on my bed. "Hello" he murmured. I ran in to his arms, and he pulled me onto his lap. I curled against his chest, enjoying his warmth.

"Hey," I whispered, looking up at him.

He stroked my face with his hands, gently dragging his fingers back and forth, "How are you feeling?" he asked, eyes wrinkling as his expression flooded with concern.

I thought for a moment, then smiled up at him. "Happy." I answered- and for once, it was true.


End file.
